Methods of diagnosing Clostridium difficile infection or recurrence in a subject

Abstract

Methods are described for identifying CDI patients as well as CDI patients at risk for recurrence. Embodiments include: (1) flow cytometry of circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to phenotype for the less efficient immunoglobulin response to bacterial toxins and surface antigens that characterizes patients who will become recurrent; (2) stratification by means of complete blood count (CBC) using a Coulter counter to detect the differences in lower angle light scatter (LAL), which has a larger range in the recurrent population; and (3) stratification by means of complete blood count (CBC) using a Coulter counter to detect the lower axial light loss (AL2) exhibited in recurrent patients.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of differentiating patients with recurrent C. diff. infection from those patients with initial C. diff. infection comprising
 obtaining a blood sample from a patient; 
 obtaining a glycoprotein stain by staining the blood sample for each of CD4, CD8, CD3, CD16, and CD56; 
 phenotyping the blood sample based on the glycoprotein stain; and 
 separating patients with recurrent C. diff. infection from those patients with initial C. diff. infection based on at least one of the phenotype of the blood sample or the ratio of lymphocytes to monocytes in the blood sample. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising administering a pharmaceutical agent to the subject.